First, I would like to congratulate Delta Air Lines for its quick response to my letter to their customer service department. I sent the letter on November 8, 1999 (with two days mailing time to Atlanta) and received a response on November 10, 1999 (the letter was dated November 8th). Very quick turnaround--good job Delta!

Second, I am a little confused with the response I got. My letter asked them when Delta, or one of its Worldwide Partners, was to begin service to Australia because my wife and I want to travel there in 2001. Here is an excerpt from the repsonse I received:

We constantly review new route opportunities and appreciate your taking the time to let us know of your interest in Delta serving Australia. Although we are interested, the current selection of domestic and international carriers serving Australia satisfy the demand for service to this destination, making it difficult for new entrants to profitably enter the market. However, we will continue to take a serious look at serving Australia should conditions change.

Is the Australia market that tough--is competition that rough in that market? My uncle and aunt went on a trip to Australia this summer and said that they had a hard time getting flights (on US Airways to L.A. and QF to New Zealand and Austrailia). I am sure that if Delta offered two or three flights a week to Australia or New Zealand, that they would be full or near capacity. Does anyone know the "real" reason? Is Delta waiting on entering into new codeshare partnership agreements or alliances? Do they think that their BusinessElite product would not fare very well in the Asia market?

MLB